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Fork piercing tender piece of slow cooker turkey.

Slow Cooker Turkey with No-Fuss Gravy

Yield: 8 Servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 7 hours
Total Time: 7 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons salted butter
  • 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 ½ cups no-salt added or low-sodium chicken broth
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 5 to 8 pound bone-in or boneless turkey breast (see note)
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions 

  • In a large, nonstick skillet melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and cook for 8-10 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the vegetables are lightly browned.
  • Stir in the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes until the flour coating the veggies turns golden. Whisk in 1 cup of the broth, working to smooth out any lumps as it cooks and thickens. Stir in the remaining broth and water. Add the thyme and bay leaves.
  • Scrape the mixture into a 6- or 8-quart slow cooker (smaller turkey breasts will fit in a 6-quart/larger will need the space in an 8-quart slow cooker).
  • Season the turkey breast on all sides lightly with salt and pepper (see note below). Place the turkey in the slow cooker (breast side down if using bone-in).
  • Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 5-7 hours until the internal temperature of the turkey breast reaches at least 165 degrees.
  • Carefully transfer the turkey breast to a cutting board (or 9X13-inch pan to catch any juices), tent with foil and let rest while preparing the gravy.
  • Strain the liquid from the slow cooker into a saucepan. Discard the vegetables.
  • Skim fat from the gravy, if needed. Bring the gravy to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until it is slightly thickened. It won't be as thick as traditional gravy but will be silky and slightly thick. For a thicker gravy, whisk together cornstarch and cold water (a tablespoon or so of cornstarch in a couple tablespoons of water) and stir the slurry into the gravy, simmering for 2-3 minutes.
  • Season the gravy with additional salt and pepper, to taste, if needed.
  • Slice the turkey and serve with the warm gravy.

Notes

Salt: keep a close eye on the salt content of this recipe. If you can't find no-salt added chicken broth and use low-sodium, take care not to over salt the turkey breast because the gravy may be be too salty. It's easier to add salt at the end, to taste, rather than end up with too-salty turkey and gravy.
Turkey Breast: this recipe works great with bone-in or boneless turkey breast. A few notes: if using bone-in turkey breast, place it breast-side down in the slow cooker. If using boneless turkey breast: keep the twine/netting on the turkey breast while it cooks. In both cases (boneless or bone-in), I've used turkey breasts weighing less than 5 pounds. It works fine, but again, just take care not to over cook or the turkey may be dry.